Compact foldable stroller with one-handed fold control

Abstract

A compact collapsible stroller in accordance with the present disclosure includes a mobile cart and a seat coupled to the mobile cart. The mobile cart includes a rolling base and a foldable frame that fold inwardly and outwardly from the rolling base.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A mobile cart adapted for use in a collapsible stroller, the mobile cart comprising
 a rolling base including a rear wheel, 
 a foldable frame including a rolling-base stabilizer having a front wheel and a rolling-base pusher having a push handle, the rolling-base stabilizer being coupled to the rolling base to pivot about a stabilizer-pivot axis between a folded-in position arranged to lie in close proximity to the rolling base and a folded-out position arranged to extend forwardly away from the rolling base, and the rolling-base pusher being coupled to the rolling base to pivot about a pusher-pivot axis between a folded-in position arranged to lie in close proximity to the rolling base and a folded-out position arranged to extend upwardly away from the rolling base, and 
 a frame-motion controller including movement-linkage means for coordinating movement of the rolling-base stabilizer and base pusher relative to the rolling base so that the rolling-base stabilizer and pusher move simultaneously toward the rolling base to the folded-in positions to establish a collapsed-storage mode of the mobile cart during movement of one of the rolling-base stabilizer and pusher toward the rolling base and so that the rolling-base stabilizer and pusher move simultaneously away from the rolling base to the folded-out positions to establish an alternative expanded-use storage mode of the mobile cart during movement of one of the rolling-base stabilizer and pusher away from the rolling base, wherein the movement-linkage means includes a middle motion-transfer link having a first-end segment mounted for pivotable movement in a first link-end receiver formed in the rolling-base stabilizer and a second-end segment mounted for pivotable movement in a second link-end receiver formed in the rolling-base pusher. 
 
     
     
       2. The mobile cart of  claim 1 , wherein the middle motion-transfer link is a rod comprising the first-end segment, the second-end segment, and a central segment interconnecting the first-end and second-end segments. 
     
     
       3. The mobile cart of  claim 2 , wherein the central segment is relatively longer than each of the first-end and second-end segments. 
     
     
       4. The mobile cart of  claim 3 , wherein the first-end segment is arranged to extend away from the central segment in a first direction and the second-end segment is arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to the first-end segment and extend away from the central segment in an opposite second direction. 
     
     
       5. The mobile cart of  claim 2 , wherein the middle motion-transfer link is a Z-shaped rod. 
     
     
       6. The mobile cart of  claim 1 , wherein a pivot-axis reference line intersects each of the stabilizer-pivot axis and the pusher-pivot axis, the first-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link is arranged to lie at a first distance from the pivot-axis reference line and the second-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link is arranged to lie at a relatively shorter second distance from the pivot-axis reference line when each of the rolling-base stabilizer and the rolling-base pusher is in the folded-out position, and the first-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link is arranged to lie at a third distance from the pivot-axis reference line and the second-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link is arranged to lie at a relatively longer fourth distance from the pivot-axis reference line when each of the rolling-base stabilizer and the rolling-base pusher is in the folded-in position. 
     
     
       7. The mobile cart of  claim 6 , wherein the first-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link is arranged to lie between the pivot-axis reference line and the rear wheel of the rolling base when each of the rolling-base stabilizer and the rolling-base pusher is in the folded-out position. 
     
     
       8. The mobile cart of  claim 7 , wherein the second-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link is arranged to lie between the pivot-axis reference line and the first-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link when each of the rolling-base stabilizer and the rolling-base pusher is in the folded-out position. 
     
     
       9. The mobile cart of  claim 7 , wherein the pivot-axis reference line is arranged to lie between the rear wheel of the rolling base and the first-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link when each of the rolling-base stabilizer and rolling-base pusher is in the folded-in position. 
     
     
       10. The mobile cart of  claim 9 , wherein the second-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link is arranged to lie at a seventh distance from the rear wheel of the rolling base when the rolling-base pusher is in the folded-out position and at a relatively longer eighth distance from the rear wheel of the rolling base when the rolling-base pusher is in the folded-in position. 
     
     
       11. The mobile care of  claim 7 , wherein the pivot-axis reference line is arranged to lie between the rear wheel of the rolling base and the second-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link when each of the rolling-base stabilizer and rolling-base pusher is in the folded-in position. 
     
     
       12. The mobile cart of  claim 7 , wherein the first-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link is arranged to lie between the pivot-axis reference line and the second-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link when each of the rolling-base stabilizer and rolling-base pusher is in the folded-in position. 
     
     
       13. The mobile cart of  claim 1 , wherein the rolling-base stabilizer further includes a front leg associated with the front wheel and a stabilizer pivot hub coupled to the front leg and formed to include the first link-end receiver and the stabilizer pivot hub is mounted for pivotable movement on the rolling base about the stabilizer-pivot axis to locate the first link-end receiver in spaced-apart relation to the stabilizer-pivot axis. 
     
     
       14. The mobile cart of  claim 13 , wherein the rolling base includes a rear leg associated with the rear wheel and configured to define a longitudinally extending central axis that passes through a space located between the stabilizer-pivot axis and the pusher-pivot axis, the first-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link remains in the first link-end receiver in rotative bearing engagement with the stabilizer pivot hub during pivotable movement of the stabilizer pivot hub about the stabilizer-pivot axis in response to movement of the rolling-base stabilizer relative to the rolling base between the folded-out position associated with the expanded use mode of the mobile cart and the folded-in position associated with the collapsed storage mode of the mobile cart, the first-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link is arranged to lie at a first distance from the longitudinally extending central axis of rolling base when the rolling-base stabilizer is in the folded-out position, and the first-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link is arranged to lie at a relatively shorter second distance from the longitudinally extending central axis of the rolling base when the rolling-base stabilizer is in the folded-in position. 
     
     
       15. The mobile cart of  claim 14 , wherein the first-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link is arranged to lie at a third distance from the rear wheel of the rolling base when the rolling-base stabilizer is in the folded-out position and at a relatively longer fourth distance from the rear wheel of the rolling base when the rolling-base stabilizer is in the folded-in position. 
     
     
       16. The mobile cart of  claim 14 , wherein the rolling-base pusher further includes a pusher pivot hub coupled to the push handle and formed to include the second link-end receiver and the pusher pivot hub is mounted for pivotable movement on the rolling base about the pusher-pivot axis to locate the second link-end receiver in spaced-apart relation to each of the pusher-pivot axis and the first link-end receiver. 
     
     
       17. The mobile cart of  claim 16 , wherein the second-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link remains in the second link-end receiver in rotative bearing engagement with the pusher pivot hub during pivotable movement of the pusher pivot hub about the base-pusher pivot axis in response to movement of the rolling-base pusher relative to the rolling base between the folded-out position associated with the expanded use mode of the mobile cart and the folded-in position associated with the collapsed storage mode of the mobile cart, the second-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link is arranged to lie at a fifth distance from the longitudinally extending central axis of the rolling base when the rolling-base pusher is in the folded-out position, and the second-end segment of the middle motion-transfer link is arranged to lie at a relatively longer sixth distance from the longitudinally extending central axis of the rolling base when the rolling-base pusher is in the folded-in position.